Present state of pharmacy in England. 13 
appears that between the 1st of January, 1841, to the 31st 
of March, 1S42, there were added to the Society 1670 
members, and 2280 associates, yielding an income of more 
than $22,000. With this large subscription, it is not surpris- 
ing that the council of the Society have found themselves 
able to effect great changes in the formerly existing condi- 
tion of things. The chief objects for which these funds 
were expended, were rent, salary, wages, the Journal, 
benevolent fund, increase of the laboratory, the museum, 
scientific meetings and the lectures. 
The school of Pharmacy, a most interesting feature of 
the Society, was commenced by the appointment of three 
lecturers. One of the courses was on Medical Botany, and 
consisted of two lectures per week between May and July, 
at 8 o'clock A. M. A second was on Chemistry, from 
October to the end of March, one lecture a week at Si 
o'clock A. M. ; and a third course on Materia Medica and 
Pharmacy, commenced in October and ended in March, one 
lecture per week at the last named hour; the lectures on 
Materia Medica preceded those on Pharmacy. Since 
the commencement of the school, the courses have been 
extended, and lectureships of Practical Chemistry and 
Practical Pharmacy added. The fees for lectures arc 
§2.50 for members and §10 for those who are not. The 
time of holding the lectures will appear unusual to us who 
at that hour are entering on our day's business in earnest ; 
but in London, where so large a proportion of the medi- 
cine consuming population turn day into night, the run of 
dispensing business commences at a later period in the day. 
Perhaps there is no feature of the Pharmaceutical Society 
of more interest to those who partake in its privileges than 
the occasions styled " Pharmaceutical meetings." These are 
monthly reunions held in the evening at the Hall of the So- 
ciety, at which all the members and associates are at liberty 
to attend. It is usual to invite guests of distinction, men of 
science, who feel an interest in the Society, or in the sciences 
2 
